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Netanyahu's Gaza takeover plan approved by Israeli security cabinet
Benjamin Netanyahu proposed to fully takeover Gaza, a territory Israel already occupies around three quarters of, in order to “ensure our security”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed plan for occupation of Gaza city has received a nod from the Israeli security cabinet, the Prime Minister's Office has reportedly said. According to Times of Israel, the PMO has announced it would provide humanitarian aid to people outside combat zones in Gaza.
It was earlier reported that the Israeli security cabinet would discuss Netanyahu's full control plans for Gaza, and news agency AP had quoted an official as saying that whatever is formally approved would be implemented gradually.
The Israeli PM has proposed to fully takeover Gaza, a territory it already occupies around three quarters of, in order to "ensure security" and destroy Hamas.
“We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there…We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life,” Netanyahu said as per Fox News, clarifying that the Israeli administration does not want to govern there.
However, Hamas has slammed the announcement, calling Netanyahu's full Gaza takeover plan a coup. "Netanyahu's plans to escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the captives and sacrifice them in pursuit of his personal interests and extremist ideological agenda," Hamas said in a statement.
Netanyahu's proposal comes amid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza where food aide sites have been seeing multiple attack, and UN agencies have warned of famine. Even as many starve in the crisis-hit territory, hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks while heading to Gaza's health ministry sites.
According to Gaza officials, Israeli forces have regularly opened fire toward the crowds going back to May, when Israel lifted a complete 2 1/2 month blockade, reported news agency AP.
While Netanyahu plans a complete takeover of Gaza, his own military chief of staff, Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, is against the proposal.
The Israeli official warns that a complete takeover would be risky for hostages in Gaza.
Over 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas after the October 7 attack in 2023, most of whom have returned, but about 50 still remain the devastated territory.
The remaining hostages' families have also expressed fears that an escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict only stands to further endanger the lives of their loved ones.
